Dr. Ted Hewitt reappointed as President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Appointment will ensure the continued high standard of support for funding research in Canada

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 18, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the reappointment of Dr. Ted Hewitt as President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Dr. Hewitt's reappointment will be effective March 1, 2021, for a period of three years.

Dr. Hewitt is a respected leader not only in his field but also among the granting councils and the science and research community. He has been serving as President of SSHRC since March 2015 and simultaneously served as the inaugural chair of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee from 2017 to 2019. Prior to taking on the leadership of SSHRC, Dr. Hewitt was Vice-President, Research and International Relations, at Western University in London, Ontario, from 2004 to 2011, where he had been a professor of sociology since 1989.

During his time with SSHRC, Dr. Hewitt has demonstrated a continued commitment to, and support for, the researchers of today and the changemakers of tomorrow whose insights are critical to making sense of the evolving world around us. Under his leadership, SSHRC has invested over $420 million annually in social sciences and humanities research in Canada, supporting more than 9,000 graduate students and nearly 24,000 researchers. This past year alone, SSHRC has greatly expanded its impact in Canada and internationally through broadening existing research programs, creating new opportunities for research and training, and connecting Canadians with groundbreaking social sciences and humanities research and discovery.

Most recently, SSHRC mobilized to address the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring smooth delivery of its programs and program-related activities. In the early phases of the crisis, it also launched a special call for COVID-19–related research.

In this time of unprecedented disruption, Dr. Hewitt's reappointment is critical to the continuity of the important work carried out by the social sciences and humanities research community.

Quote

"Congratulations to Dr. Hewitt on his reappointment and his work championing the advancement of social sciences and humanities in Canada. These are challenging times and his continued leadership will further ensure we are investing in the very best ideas and research about people, about human thought and behaviour, that contribute to understanding and improving Canada and the world, today and into the future". 

– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

• SSHRC is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary–based research and training in the humanities and social sciences.
• Since 2016, the Government of Canada has committed more than $10 billion to science, including the largest ever increase in funding for fundamental research.
• SSHRC's governing council consists of the President and up to 18 other members from the private and public sector. The council promotes and assists research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. It meets regularly to set policy and program priorities and allocate budgets.

Associated links

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• SSHRC's governing council 

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada